Ghana presidential palace, The Golden Jubilee House

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Golden Jubilee House is a presidential palace in Accra which serves as a residence and office to the President of Ghana. It replaced the seat of government at Osu Castle. The original budget of $30m was a loan from the Indian government. However BBC journalist David Amanor reported the construction may have cost as much as $45–50m. Building of the palace was overseen by an Indian contractor who used Ghanaian sub-contractors.

Notable events

• In 2002, thousands of Liberian women led by Leymah Gbowee staged a silent protest outside the previous Presidential Palace in Accra and demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions brought about an agreement that achieved peace in Liberia after a 14-year civil war. The story is told in a 2008 documentary film called Pray the Devil Back to Hell.

• In July 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama and his family were hosted by Ghana's President John Atta Mills to a breakfast at the Osu Castle.

Criticism

The construction of this building was criticized by the opposition party NDC during the 2008 elections. According to them, the money used in the construction of this building should have been utilized in rural areas of Ghana which lack basic human requirements such as food and education.